| **Navigation:**  [[introduction.htm|Language Reference]] > 13 - Built-in Functions >====== FORMAT (return formatted numbers into a picture) ====== | [[fontdialoga  return chosen font and character set .htm|{{btn_prev_n.gif|Previous page}}]][[introduction.htm|{{btn_home_n.gif|Return to chapter overview}}]][[forwardkey  pass keystrokes to control.htm|{{btn_next_n.gif|Next page}}]] |
|  ||

**FORMAT(**//value//,//picture//**)**

{{blk2blue.jpg|blk2blue.jpg}}

| **FORMAT** | Returns a formatted string. |
| //value// | A variable or expression for the //value// to be formatted. |
| //picture// | A picture token, or the label of a STRING variable or expression containing a picture token. |

The **FORMAT** procedure returns a string formatted according to the //picture// parameter.

| **Return Data Type:** | STRING |

**Example:**

**!Format the Social Security number:**

**Rpt:SocSecNbr = ****FORMAT****(Emp:SSN,@P###-##-####P)**

**!Change phone format from dashes to parenthesis:**

**Phone = FORMAT(DEFORMAT(Phone,@P###-###-####P),@P(###)###-####P)**

**!Format a date as a string:**

**DateString = FORMAT(DateLong,@D1)**

**See Also:**

[[deformat  return unformatted numbers from string .htm|DEFORMAT]]

[[picture tokens.htm|Picture Tokens]]